Montebello Iles, British nuclear testing

The Montebello Islands are a small group of islands 130 kms off the Pilbara Coast so very remote. They were the location of three nuclear tests conducted by the British in the 1950s. One of those blasts was so strong that there was evidence of radiation as far as the Gold Coast. If we go on land we would not be allowed to stay more than 1 hour because of fear of radiation poisoning. Needless to say this is not on the itinerary. Today the islands are a marine park and nature reserve and as with so many of the small island groups near here, because cats, rats and other feral animals have been eradicated this has enabled endangered local wildlife to be reintroduced.

The wind in the morning is still very strong making the sea very choppy. Zodiacs go out to assess whether a ride for us is possible this morning. Watching from the ship it becomes apparent that this won't be happening. For the zodiac drivers, driving the zodiacs must be like riding a a bucking bull. The front of the zodiac rises at the top of a wave often well over a meter and then comes crashing down the other side. The drivers are very skilled and yet these conditions still present a challenge. By the afternoon the sea is much calmer and the plan is for us to sail around the islands. From the ship and we are looking from the Westerly side, the islands don't look like they will offer very much of interest. There is a little low vegetation clinging to the rocks but it is otherwise quite barren. This is our last zodiac ride so we were never going to miss it.

It's a beautiful sunny day with little wind now. These zodiacs trips are usually a really tranquil way to discover a place and so it is with this one. Our driver takes us in and out between the islands. We see numerous birds, a pair of osprey on top of a cliff and although a long way off still clearly visible. There are herons, oyster catchers and a swallow called a wood swallow. The guide saw a dugong but we didn't. A surprise for me was that in sheltered areas on the other side of the islands away from the Indian Ocean, there is a significant cover of vegetation including mangroves. From the mangroves dart stingrays and two different types of shark. One is the black tipped reef shark and the other we were told what it was a guitar shark, quite a large one. Some later zodiacs saw whales but there are so many here that wasn't a surprise.

There were numerous small bays and mangroves which we explored, the 2 hours passed quickly and I think most people in our zodiac would happily have stayed longer. As we turned to go back there was a zodiac strategically parked and those on board offered us mimosas which turned out to be I think, champagne and orange juice. A very nice end to a lovely afternoon. We had one more surprise however, as we were heading back two large green turtles were mating right in front of the zodiac and at one point both heads were out of the water. They seemed unperturbed by us.

Given the remoteness of this place and the fact that it had been a clear day it was suggested that we do a little star gazing with one of the guides. On the top deck the blinds of the bar were closed and we stood outside to to gaze in awe at the Milky Way and other stars. The guide provided commentary and had a laser pointer so he could point out interesting thingsЧитать далее